The Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy is composed of women who have taken part in the time honored tradition of christening a ship to be commissioned in the United States Navy, or a ship that sails with the Navy, supporting the fleet in some specific way. Sponsors play a unique role for the Navy. As they christen their ships, bestowing upon the vessel a name chosen by the Secretary of the Navy, they become a part of that ship’s history. The crew of the ship may change many times over the course of a ship’s life, but the Sponsor remains the same. Most Sponsors form a warm and lasting relationship with their ships, an affiliation that is rewarding to both.

USS Tracy, named for Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Franklin Tracy, was christened August 12, 1919, by Mrs. Frank Brodhead Tracy.